Sometimes a relationship feels so safe that you stop looking for danger. You believe the words, trust the tenderness and build your faith around the moments that felt real. Then suddenly, you are left bruised and somehow blaming yourself. You remember the good memories and convince yourself that you must have caused the bad ones. You search your own behaviour for answers because accepting the truth feels harder than holding onto who you believed they were. Beautiful memories do not erase what happened. The love you once felt does not make the harm your fault, and walking away does not mean those moments meant nothing. It means you finally chose yourself over the version of love that broke you. Sometimes strength is grieving the good while refusing to return to the pain. Love should not leave you bruised, broken or afraid. If it does, it was never any type of love. - Bruised Love. If you are experiencing abuse, you do not have to wait for it to become worse before asking for help...